Lemon and basil breaded turkey escalopes

Baked turkey steaks with pesto and cheese

Turkey and Mushroom Creamy Pasta

Slow Cooker Turkey Supreme

Slow Cooker Turkey Supreme

We are probably all guilty at times of buying what seemed a bargain at the time and then forgetting about it. I was in one of my organized moods when I decided to look through the freezer for something to use for the next day's dinner. Lurking at the back was a pack of diced turkey thighs. I don't normally buy turkey thigh as we're not big fans of it but I could see by the yellow reduced sticker why I fell for it. I got it out to defrost overnight not knowing what to make with it but was sure something would come to me. By morning I still didn't have a clue and had a look in the fridge and vegetable basket for some inspiration. I found celery, carrots and one onion in the house which happened to be a red one. Again the celery had been bought at a reduced price and I'm the only person in the house who likes it. So I decided to cook them all together in the slow cooker. While it was cooking I thought it could do with something else to help the sauce get some more flavour and to thicken it. I didn't have any cream or yoghurt but found a small amount of cream cheese left in the tub. I weighed it out and it was truthfully exactly 60g. By stirring this in towards the end it gave the desired creamy taste. Mine was a full-fat version but do try reduced fat cream cheese too. Likewise feel free to substitute the red onion for a brown onion.

I can happily report after being slow cooked for several hours the celery takes on the flavour of the stock and turns it into an edible food for the rest of the family! Remember you can do this with other vegetables like leeks too.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1oz (28g) Unsalted butter

1lb 1½ oz (500g) Diced turkey thighs

4 Celery stalks, chopped

3 Carrots, chopped

1 Red onion, chopped

2tbsp (30ml) Plain flour

½ pint (300ml) Chicken stock

1tsp (5ml) Mixed herbs

Black pepper

2oz (60g) Full-fat cream cheese

Method

1. Pre-heat the slow cooker to high.

2. In a large frying pan fry the turkey in the butter until it is sealed. Take the turkey out of the pan, leaving the butter in the pan, and place on some kitchen towel to get soak up any excess fat.

3. In the same butter put the celery, carrots and onion into the pan and fry until the onion starts to soften.

4. Stir in the flour and coat the vegetables with it.

5. Pour in the chicken stock, add the herbs and the black pepper and stir.

6. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker, add the turkey and stir.

7. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

8. 30 minutes before serving stir in the cream cheese.

Serve with rice or your choice of potatoes. We had had it with mash and some extra green beans.

I am putting this forward to several challenges this month. Firstly for the low-priced ingredients and using food I already had it is going to Credit Crunch Munch hosted by Camilla at Fab Food 4 All this month and Helen at Fuss Free Flavours.

For the addition of the carrots, onion and especially the celery this is going to Helen again at Fuss Free Flavours for the new Extra Veg challenge she is hosting with Michelle at Utterly Scrummy Food for Families.

By using up forgotten meat and doing a fridge raid for the vegetables and cream cheese this is going to Elizabeth at Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary for the No Waste Food Challenge.

Finally for getting everyone to eat some celery by cooking it in the slow cooker this is going to Vanesther at Bangers & Mash for this month's Family Foodies which she co-hosts with Louisa at Eat Your Veg. This month's theme is Hidden Goodies.

Hot Coronation Turkey - T is for...Turkey

Hot Coronation Turkey

The fresh turkeys should be starting to appear in the shops in the next couple of days. It's often thought that eating turkey for Christmas dinner is a relatively new trend in the UK and one adapted from the American custom of having a turkey at Thanksgiving. It is true that turkey is far better suited to mass rearing as they can bred in a similar way to chickens while geese need far more freedom and land. However, there are reports of Henry VIII being the first British monarch to have had turkey as part of his Christmas feast.

Of course one of the attractions of turkey is that it can feed a houseful but there always seems to be leftovers no matter how well you judge the size. For this purpose we like to have this Hot Coronation Turkey which works equally as well with leftover chicken as well.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Onion, finely chopped

½oz (15g) Butter

1tbsp (15ml) Mild Korma curry powder

8oz (225g) Mango Chutney (My preferred variety is Sharwoods)

10oz (300g) Greek yoghurt

2tbsp (30ml) Mayonnaise

1½tsp (7.5ml) Tomato purée

About 10oz (300g) Cooked turkey/chicken, diced

Cooked rice to serve

Method

1. In a large saucepan cook the onion in the butter until soft.

2. Add the curry powder, stirring for one minute.

3. Add the chutney and heat through.

4. Stir in the yoghurt, mayonnaise and tomato purée and heat until almost boiling.

5. Add the turkey or chicken and cook gently for about 15 minutes.

6. Serve with the cooked rice.